Investors Question JUUL Board Members over Financial Distress in November 2022
A group of JUUL Labs investors has raised concerns about a financial relief transaction conducted by JUUL board members Nick Pritzker and Riaz Valani in November 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal. They allege that the deal has benefited insiders while harming the interests of other investors.
As a pioneer in the e-cigarette industry, JUUL Labs has shifted from dominating the American market to fighting for survival in a short period of time. After achieving initial success, the company faced regulatory scrutiny due to its marketing practices. Thousands of lawsuits alleging that the company facilitated an "epidemic" of e-cigarette use among minors have notably impacted its financial situation.
JUUL is considering bankruptcy since June 2022, after the FDA ordered the removal of its e-cigarettes from the market and obtained a court injunction.
In order to avoid bankruptcy, Pritzker and Valani refinanced JUUL's loan deadlines in September 2022 and subsequently loaned funds to cover operational costs during the autumn. Finally, the two directors, along with JUUL's co-founders James Monsees and Adam Bowen, supported a comprehensive legal and investment agreement, which involved equity investment in JUUL.
JUUL successfully raised $1.27 billion in funding in October 2023, after engaging with numerous potential investors. This funding includes an additional $45 million investment from Pritzker, Valani, and two co-founders of JUUL, as well as legal entities associated with JUUL and four other investors.
Entities associated with Valani and Pritzker now collectively hold nearly half of JUUL's shares, while the majority of other investors have significantly reduced their holdings during the crisis.
D1 Capital Partners, an affiliate of hedge fund, along with two other investors, filed a lawsuit against JUUL in October 2023, alleging that Pritzker and Valani "exploited the company's distress to further their own personal interests, thereby harming other stakeholders of JUUL.
JUUL plans to raise $330 million in 2024 to maintain its existing product line in the US market and submit new e-cigarette products for federal authorization.
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